The Winchester Legacy
by starglow71
Summary: Sam and Adam are in the hole. Cas, Gabriel, and Bobby are dead. Dean is all alone now. Maybe they can win yet, with some Heavenly help, of course. My take on how things could have went if God had intervened in a small way right at that moment.


Sam and Adam have just gone into the Cage. Castiel is blown to bits. Gabriel and Bobby are dead. Dean is broken.

Gabriel returns and sets things right, starting with bringing Castiel back to his side. A newly restored Castiel. Can they give this doomed group the happy endings they so deserve?

Read on and see.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Cas?" Came the honey like voice, reaching his ears. _Ears? He didn't have those anymore, did he?_

"Wake up, Castiel, we don't have much time. Don't be a wuss, bro, open your damn eyes!" The voice shouts, shaking him. _He has no body anymore to shake; he's just been blown apart, hasn't he?_

Cas finds himself opening eyes he didn't know he had and sees his brother, his dead brother, shaking him by the shoulder, in the middle of a white area. He lets him sit him up and looks confused.

"Dad's back. He took care of Raphael. He brought me back and you. He said we don't have much time if we want to help the Winchesters." Gabriel was frantic now, no pretense of humor now present in his visage at all.

Cas stood up and found himself feeling powerful again, stronger than before.

"You got a promotion while you were out, bro. You earned it." Gabriel said impatiently.

"I'm an archangel now?" Cas said, feeling a different power flowing in him now.

"Yes and we need to use that to save the Winchesters. Right now." Gabriel was already taking his hand and teleporting them to where Dean sat watching the hole that had just closed in front of him, crying and broken. Cas touched Bobby and Dean healing them instantly.

"Cas, you're alive, but how?" Dean asks confused, the angel had been blown apart right in front of him. Then he sees Gabriel. "You were killed with your blade, by Lucifer. How are you back?" He looks at the hole and sighs, "Doesn't matter anyway, Sam's gone, Michael took Adam. I'm alone now." His head hangs again and he sobs silently, shoulders shaking.

"That's why we're here." Gabriel announces, pulling out his Archangel Blade, Cas does the same, and Dean looks on as they form a glowing portal over the cage and jump in. He is thrown against the car, shielding his eyes as light explodes from the hole the Archangels have made. _Cas is an archangel now?_ Wow, he has time to wonder before Bobby joins him, helping him sit up more. He thinks he busted something…again. It hurts but he doesn't care. His brothers are in that hole and the Archangels just went in after them. He's too busy praying they find them in time to care about the pain. He's felt it before.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gabriel uses his blade to extract Michael from Adam as they fall deeper into pit, into the cage. They have a while before they hit ground though, the cage is deep and they are all in free fall at the moment. Cas watches Gabriel and does the same to extract Lucifer from Sam. Both brothers, Michael and Lucifer shout in fury but are unable to stop them. They are too surprised by the attack and the new Archangel arrivals work too fast for them to stop them in time. Gabriel feels Adam, his soul is there, complete and healthy still. Cas check Sam's unconscious form, his is complete and healthy as well.

They fly up out of the portal, scorching the lower feathers of their wings as the fires of Hell meet them. The fiery ground is rapidly coming up to meet them now. They soar higher and faster upward. They breach the surface and emerge from the portal, wings smoking and smelling like sulfur slightly. (The scorched feathers and slight sulfur smell never goes away, they learn, it is marked on them permanently but they don't mind, it is the price they paid for this). They are met by shocked faces.

Dean tries to get up but has to groan, he has definitely broken something this time. Bobby jumps up and Cas lays Adam down, both Sam and Adam are unconscious still. He runs over to Dean and heals him quickly.

"So sorry, Dean, We were in a hurry to save them. We didn't even stop to move you out of the way of the power blast range. So sorry, do you hurt now?" Cas uses a hand to check him over and finds no more injuries. Dean is fine again.

"No, I want to see Sam." Dean gets up in one fluid motion and both him and Bobby run over to the two unconscious men, now laying side by side on the crater-sized blast zone created by the Archangels entering their portal and pulling the men out. It is larger than the one that he had found when he had crawled out of his grave before, much larger.

Dean kneels by Sam, shaking him like when he was a kid and he was having a nightmare. He shakes him harder, pleading for him to wake up, to open his eyes, "Please, Sammy, open them, come back to me!" Dean looks at Cas.

"He is okay right, not dead or anything?" He has to ask, he is grateful his brother is not in hell but he has to know.

"He's fine; we believe the fall was such a shock to them that they are in a coma of sorts as their minds adjust to not falling into Hell. We can't heal that without doing a mind wipe but they never actually saw Hell so that was not necessary." Cas smiled softly, "They can hear you now. They just need a bit to recover from the shock. We will send you to Bobby's. You can rest there." In a flash, they are all suddenly in his living room, the Archangels are carefully laying Adam and Sam down on the couches, touching them, checking if they are okay again.

"The Car is outside, where you usually park it." Gabriel says smirking, knowing Dean would ask. He didn't mention the strangely Angelic aura the car gave off, more like God's than an Angel aura, strange...It explained a lot. The horsemen had their cars and it appears the Winchesters had a vessel like theirs all along, a heavenly Impala. It made sense but it was still most strange to see and feel. It felt alive…somehow when Gabriel had touched it. It felt like his father's work.

Dean just stares down at Sam, strangely enough; he hadn't even thought to ask. He only wanted to make sure Sam was okay. It shows how worried he has been.

They went into the kitchen and got some beers, and waited for the men to wake up. They offered some to the Archangels, who accepted them smiling, happy they were able to get to the souls in time. Michael and Lucifer are pissed at them, but they don't care. They had saved the Winchesters, all of them. They had repaid Sam's sacrifice. He has sacrificed himself, with love and loyalty, to save the world and thus they were able to pull him out before the cage locked him in, He nor Adam were never meant to be in the cage, that was only for Lucifer, and now Michael.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few days later, the pair woke up to soft pillows and warm blankets. They got up and blinked. Each realizing they were alone in their skin and it felt good again. The angels were gone now. They were confused what had happened though.

They remembered it all. Sam had been fighting with Dean, well, Lucifer was. Michael held Adam firmly in his grasp, seething that the older Winchester had stopped the battle. Suddenly Sam was able to take charge and he opened the cage, jumping in. Michael had followed, grabbing to try to stop him. Sam grabbed him and said "Sorry Adam." And held him close, Michael fought that hold but Adam sunk into his brother's embrace, knowing this had been Sam's way of saving them all, even him. He loved his brother in that moment.

They were falling down this dark hole with fire somewhere at the bottom, then there was a bright light, almost blinding. They were grabbed and there was excruciating agony. They passed out from it and that was all they remembered. They couldn't hold onto the memory of the agony though, it kept skittering away from their minds. They let it. They didn't want to remember that anyway.

The two men emerged and Sam smiled, they were at Bobby's and he smelled waffles. He was alive! Adam came out of the room next to his, confused as to where he was. Sam hugged him tightly, tearfully, so glad to see him safe and alive as well. Adam held on to him just as tightly, Sam was here, with him. He was alive and they were together. Adam's eyes were wet and he didn't want to let him go again.

There came footfalls up the stairs, hard and fast. Running steps. They turned their eyes to the approaching people. Dean stood staring at them with such a look of joy on his face that it was almost too much to look at. He ran to them and embraced them hard. They opened their arms to include him in their hug. They all cried in relief and happiness. Sam kept saying, "Sorry I hurt you Dean. I tried to fight him, so sorry I hurt you.", Dean kept saying. "Nothing to be sorry for, Sam, it wasn't you." and looking at Adam , saying, "Sorry you got dragged into this little brother, it should have been me, so sorry, Adam." To which Adam replied, "It was my decision, Dean, he forced me to say yes, I didn't want to, I had to. You did your best to protect me, don't blame anyone. Just glad to be safe again."

Bobby watched and listened to them, tears in his eyes. He wanted to join them but knew they weren't ready for him yet. He stood there waiting, aching to hold his sons again, to meet the new one.

They separated shortly after and saw him. Sam and Dean went to the man and hugged him hard. He hugged them back, especially Sam. "So glad to see you again, Idjits, that was a damn fool thing to do, Sam, don't do that again!" Sam understood what Bobby was really saying '_I'm proud of you, Sam, I thought I lost you. I love you, both of you.' _

Bobby had to be translated into subtext sometimes, both boys reflected smiling. They looked to Adam, who stood awkwardly nearby. He wasn't a part of this group…yet. Bobby remedied that. He took Adam into his arms and hugged him. Adam froze for a second but fell into the hug. The man gave off such warmth and love, he couldn't resist him. He cried and Bobby let him. They pulled apart and were met by the warm gazes of Gabriel and Cas.

"How? How did you do it?" Sam asked sputtering, he was grateful but confused.

"Father came back and laid down the law with Raphael. He sees his mistakes now, he will be retrained." Gabriel said smiling, relishing Raphael's face as he was '_retrained'_. It was not a pleasant experience. "Father brought back Castiel and made him an Archangel. He said it was time to repay your sacrifice, Sam."

Sam was surprised, God wanted to repay him?

"You aren't linked to Lucifer anymore, not his vessel. You nullified that when you jumped in the hole willingly. Such sacrifices demand repayment." Castiel said gently, "He can never touch you again." Cas touched Sam's face as he sighed, "You are not an abomination, Sam, I am sorry I called you that. An abomination would never have done what you did. I was wrong."

Sam took his hand and hugged the contrite Angel. "You saved me, Cas. You more than made up for anything you have ever done." Cas smiled, no longer worried the man would reject his friendship, he had been a 'shit' as Dean would say by even making Sam feel like less than the good man he really was, never letting the demon blood in him change him at all. "Father will be removing that demon blood from you soon, Sam. You no longer need it. You never did, in my eyes, none of our eyes." Cas smiled into his hazel eyes, "We are proud of you, Sam. You did good."

Sam felt his eyes tear up again but nodded in reply. He would be whole again, soon. The blood gone, soon. He was here and he was home.

"Adam, you should stay here." Gabriel said, sucking on a lollipop, sliding it in and out, enjoying its sugary taste. "You have no home anymore. This could be home, with him. He is the father here, in this situation." He turned eyes to Bobby, who had the grace to blush but eyed the boy, smiling.

"Please, Adam, stay." Bobby pleaded, seeing the uncertainty in his hazel eyes, eyes so like John and Sam's. "Give it a chance. Your brothers will come by a lot and you can live here with me, I raised them, let me be there for you."

Adam looked to his brothers who both nodded eagerly, wanting him to stay, so badly wanting him to stay it shown in their eyes. He sighed, knowing he would do it. If only for them. The place did feel…homey.

"I'll stay." Adam said shyly, unsure of himself now, unsure of anything except he had a family again and was afraid they would go away, like his mom did when the ghouls killed her. The boys saw the look and knew it well. They groaned internally, _why did all Winchesters end up with that look? Was it genetic or something? _ It hurt to see it on Adam's face and they went to him, reassuring him they weren't going anywhere, they would make Bobby's home base now, not travel so much or live out of motels so much, if Adam was here waiting for them, if their family was waiting for them. "Thank you." Adam said softly, having them here would make it easier to adjust to the place. It would make it home for him.

"That okay with you, Bobby? We'd be more underfoot than before. This would be where we spent most of our time. Is that okay with you?" No Sammy- eyes or begging, just worry he didn't want them, they wanted this so much it hurt.

"It's fine with me. You boys are my family, my sons, even you, Adam. You belong here, you silly idjits." Bobby was misting up again, '_They're turning me into a woman, these idjits, I can't stop crying.'_ He thought to himself and pulled himself together. "Now if we're done with our 'womanly' moments, I got waffles and eggs downstairs, Bacon too. It's getting cold and I'm hungry." He used his arms to indicate '_let's get down there_".

They didn't need to be told twice. The boys and Bobby walked downstairs, talking and bickering a little, tentatively as if trying to find their grooves with each other and feeling out each other's comfort areas, especially Adam's, he was new to this 'brother' stuff and they wanted him to be a part of it, bickering and all. Bobby joined in, grumbling and teasing back at them, finding his groove with them, and Adam as well. They were forming their family unit and the Archangels were happy for them. They would be okay now.

"You two idjits coming down? We can't eat until the whole family is here. You're slowing down breakfast!" Bobby called up from the kitchen and they popped down to him immediately. Cas sat by Sam, and Gabriel sat by Dean. Gabriel created bowls of strawberries in syrup and whipped cream, along with blackberry and peach of the same mixture to sit in the middle. They sat and talked, the Archangels joined in.

Afterward the full Archangels promised to visit often and promised themselves to protect this place and them like Raphael had protected Chuck but better. They reinforced the Enochian and demon wards mentally before leaving and then popped back to Heaven to let their Father know how things were going, knowing this was now their family too.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Time passed, Bobby got older and did research. Adam helped but ended up with a full ride to Stanford, where he became an engineer. He worked on buildings, making them earthquake proof, things like that. He always included devil's traps, small ones onto the foundations of all his buildings. Demons couldn't enter any buildings he worked on, they hated it, he found it amusing and satisfying. His buildings hummed with holy power, the Archangels blessing them when no one was around. The demons and evil things hated this but knew it was beyond their power to do anything about it.

The boys hunted still, always returning home after hunts. They had more scars now, more injuries, but not many. The Archangels healed them up well after hunts so they were okay. They eventually retired and joined Bobby with the research when he got too old to do it himself. He passed at the age of 98, in his sleep, smiling. Evil did not get him in the end and for that they were grateful. He had fought the good fight and he deserved this. He had found another family after losing his own and it was worth the pain he had gone through to get it.

Adam married a nice woman, Abigail, and had two kids, twins. He named them Samuel and Dean, for his brothers. They were overjoyed and honored by this. He had a successful career for many years until his wife died of cancer. He took the boys and moved back with his brothers unable to stay in the house where he had lived so long with her, there were too many memories there.

The boys married as well. Dean married Jo and they had three kids, Ellen, Bobby, and Gabriel. All were honored by the fact they gave their names to their children. They lived at the house and eventually had it expanded to 7 bedrooms and had their own house built inside the Salvage Yard as well, after removing some of the junk and buying up some of the properties around them so they could expand the yard as well. Jo lived to 56 until they found an undiagnosed heart condition which took her away a year later. Ellen, her mom, joined her shortly after, in her sleep. Heart attack was the diagnosis but they knew the truth, it was heart break that killed her and they mourned them both.

Sam married Sarah Blake and had one child. The child was green eyed and had a knack for trouble. He liked to work with his hands and rebuilt motors by the time he was ten, with his uncle's help of course. His name was of course, Dean. Sarah lived until she was 60 which was when a drunk driver slammed into her on the way to the gallery one night. Sam was broken and angry but his family and the Archangels kept him from going after the driver with his colt pistol. Sam wanted to kill him but eventually let the law put him in jail for 40 years, without a chance at parole. He was a habitual offender, and had apparently had two hit and runs that he had not been tied to but was eventually, with a little research on their parts. His sentence was increased to life without parole after that. They had a celebratory dinner when they found out. Sam moved back into Bobby's with Dean.

They ran the Salvage Yard, changing the name to Winchester Salvage but always considering it 'Singer Salvage' in their hearts.

Their kids went off to college and became doctors, lawyers, and several became engineers like Adam, all using the traps and Archangel power to keep the demons out, knowing the ways Hunters kept safe and using them all to protect people in their practices and buildings. Not hunting but doing their part to keep the innocents safe.

They took up raising Hunter dogs, something Bobby had always done and made a good living that way. Hunters across the world came to them for information, advice, and the best damn Hunter dogs in the world.

At the age of 110, both Sam and Dean passed on, laying side by side on Sam's bed. They had been sensing their deaths again and went to each other, not wanting to go alone. They passed in their sleep with their whole family around them, the Archangels included. They said their goodbyes, gave their blessings, hugs and kisses were done, and then they slept… never waking up. Death greeted them personally and reaped them, smiling widely and they smiled back. Death never smiled they knew , they were honored he came for them the way he did. He took their hands and led them to Heaven, to the tavern where Ash waited and gave them a clap on the back in welcome.

Adam followed years later, his heart giving out as he was fixing his car. The Archangels lowered him to ground gently, with love for their human brother. Adam saw the skinny, but smiling man come toward him. He took the man's hand, feeling like he knew him somehow. He was taken to the tavern as well, his brothers holding up their beers in welcome. He smiled and joined them. Bobby came out of the back room, the others trickled in slowly. First Ellen, Jo, Pamela, Sarah, and Abigail. The boys patted the seats beside them and the women joined them. Bobby sat by the blonde woman next to them, Karen took his hand, seeing how happy it made her husband to see his family complete again.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The kids ran the yard, had their careers, and raised the dogs. Sam's son, Dean took over the yard and so did Dean's kid, Bobby. The others kept their careers and had families of their own. They started up other 'Winchester Salvages' all over the country. Each one eventually getting keepers like Dean and Bobby. Each one helping Hunters with cases and research. Each one a beacon of goodness against any evil that came their way. Some became hunters of course, Dean's son, Gabriel, and daughter, Ellen. Adam's twins, Samuel and Dean. Samuel always preferred Sammy over Sam so that is what he was called by his brother.

Then when it came time for another apocalypse, when Lucifer and Michael were released by rogue angels, well that was quickly squashed when Castiel and Gabriel impaled the two with their own Archangel Blades. They knew who they would choose for vessels and it was not happening this time, not to their human family, no way. They were going for Adam's twins, Sam and Dean. This was not going to be their fates.

After that, they found out their Father had known what they would do and approved. Zachariah was furious and their Father informed him that he knew he had orchestrated the opening of the cage. Zachariah seethed and didn't bother to deny it. He wanted to hurt the Winchesters and this new generation was a more powerful force of goodness than the last annoying pair. There was so many of them now, with their power centers always being those damn salvage yards!

God sighed sadly at his son's hate but allowed the two Archangels, Castiel and Gabriel to smite the Angels with his own blade, his particles flowing away. God waved a hand and erased them from existence. Castiel and Gabriel bowed to their Father, thanking him for protecting their now rather large human family. God just smiled and said it was his honor to help them. They left to go visit their family afterward. Letting them know the threat was gone, that Zachariah was gone.

The Archangels went to Heaven again, and visited them there. Sam and Dean had their own heaven of course, being soul mates. They kissed on the Impala. They were not brothers now or anything as mundane as that. They were soul mates who were meant to be together this way, they only rediscovered this after returning to Heaven this last time. They had never had these feelings for each other on Earth as Sam and Dean. The Archangels explained that was normal. Human lives were soon pushed aside here in heaven and the true connections were restored. They hadn't had those feeling because they were brothers and that had made their connection as brothers so codependent and strangely different than any other brothers on Earth. Here they were what they really were, soul mates that always lived their lives here, as the closest of souls, true loves to each other for all eternity. They hoped they weren't brothers in their next lives again, they hadn't missed this feeling until now. Castiel assured them that would not be the case, they were not meant to have had that relationship to each other in any lifetime, Zachariah had manipulated that, with the help of Lucifer and Michael of course.

Bobby and Karen had their own heaven as well, there was a nice house with a yard of flowers. Karen hummed in the kitchen, off-key and tone deaf, but Bobby loved it. He watched her tend the flowers and clean the house and then pull him upstairs for a little 'afternoon delight' sometimes. Their daughters ran around the house sometimes, careful not to smash Mom's flowers or Dad would have their hides. The Archangels went in and smelled chicken. Bobby asked them to join them and the Angels did. They told him what happened and the others were safe. Both people were relieved.

Sarah had her own heaven, Sam showed up a lot but mostly stayed with Dean. She understood and was happy in her heaven. Her dad and her ran the most popular Art gallery in Heaven. Even God visited it sometimes. She was relieved the kids were safe and thanked them for helping them. They in return said it was not a problem, they were their family too.

Abigail tended her garden and waited for Adam to return from the store. She waited for her children to come and the Archangels assured her they would be here eventually to which she nodded knowingly, she figured as much. They told her the kids were safe and what they had done. She was grateful but again they said they had no choice, they were their family, too.

Ellen and Jo shared a heaven, complete with a house and a barn. Neither missed the boys too much, they visited often enough to avoid that. They understood the soul mate thing and were happy for them. They kept in touch with the others and were relieved to hear the kids were safe now. They hugged the Archangels and invited them in. The Archangels accepted eagerly, they always made them feel welcome and special whenever they came around.

They visited Pamela and enjoyed the concerts she was always having in her heaven, guzzling down whiskey like it was water. She managed a grope here and there, a kiss here and there, and the Archangels laughed at her antics. She was happy the others were safe, the Winchesters were safe.

Last of all, they visited Ash. He offered them beer and they talked about what had been going on. He was glad they had helped the others and they took it in stride. It was their family and they had to protect them as best they could.

The Archangels reveled in the families they were a part of and were grateful.

No one missed hunting, no one remembered the evil things or the bad parts they had lived. They all were happy here, content to be free finally. Free to be themselves.

The Archangels smiled. This was why they had went into that hole for Sam and Adam. This is why they stayed with the men. This is why they fought so hard to help and protect them.

They were a family, albeit a very large one now, but still, they were Winchesters and to a Winchester, Family is everything.

Down in the world, the name Winchester had an old and a new power to it. They were powerful and strong, loyal and not be messed with. Hunters relied on them and trusted them.

Winchesters were the best at whatever they did.

What was it they did, one may ask?

They kept the Evil at bay and protected others, helped them even when they didn't know they were there.

Winchesters were the Protectors of the World.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It started out as a small idea and just kind of grew, sorry.

They all deserved a happy ending so I gave them one.

Please review!


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